The Other Four Bar
by TrueKelpa
Summary: Set after Hunger.  Kayla is a four bar determined not to choose sides between Sam and Caine. But will that change? O/C
1. Noticed

**DO NOT OWN**

***Ok, I have decided to be strict. Sorry! I am going to say that I want 3 reveiws on a chapter before I upload the next one.  
So, please, PLEASE reveiw! Even if you don't have an account, I have enabled anonymous reveiws, so please tell me what you think.***

It was nighttime. Diana was grilling Bug on his latest spying mission in Perdido Beach. They had not gleaned much information previously, and she was not hopeful. Just as she had expected, he couldn't tell her much. The so called 'Human Crew' was still around, and the newly appointed council wasn't doing much about it. About anything. Kids were still going hungry, but they weren't starving like the Coates kids. They had set up some kind of market, where people could get food.

Caine would be irritated at the lack of news. He desperately wanted some way to get one over on Sam, she knew. She was tempted to send Bug to report to him, so he could face Caine's temper, but she knew she had to tell the boy herself. She sighed, and as she turned to glare at the wall, she caught a flash of movement, through one of the shattered windows. Close.

"Go and get Caine, Bug." She said, her voice neutral. She didn't want to alert the eavesdropper. Bug hurried off quickly. She paced the room. It had been a dining hall once. Just the thought of the tables piled high with food made her stomach cramp in hunger. She turned when she reached the wall, pacing back again. Each pass brought her slightly closer to the blasted window. Eventually, she was close enough to touch it. She stopped in front of it, her hand resting on the gun hidden beneath her blazer.

"Get up" she called to the shadows outside. A figure slowly rose up from the darkness, to look her in the face. She saw, in the light of the fake stars, that it was a girl, the same age as her. She had dark brown hair past her shoulders, with a fringe that cut across her face, and she was frowning at Diana. Her eyes were bizarre. One of them was a deep violet, the other emerald green. "Come in" Diana told her. Not an offer, but a command. The girl grinned.

"Make me" she said. Diana hissed, and drew the gun from her pocket, pointing it squarely at the girl's chest, which heaved in a sigh. "I guess that counts" she muttered, as she stepped through the splintered frame.

Diana immediately grabbed her wrist in a vicelike grip. Her eyes went blank for a moment, then widened in shock. She took a step back, but the gun stayed pointed at the other girl.

"Well well." She said after a beat. "Fearless leader isn't going to like this at all."

"What won't I like?" came a voice. Caine was striding through the doors to the dining hall. His lips twitched at the sight of Diana, her gun fixed on the intruder's torso, but he made no comment. At the sight of him, Diana lowered her gun. It was no longer needed, and the newcomer obviously sensed that, as she made no move to escape. Caine fixed her with an icy glare for a moment, then turned to Diana. "Did you read her?" he asked. She nodded.

"She's a four bar."


	2. Inquisition

"Really?" asked Caine, the mild surprise in his tone concealing his fury. "Then perhaps she will tell me what her power is." He looked at the girl expectantly. She met his gaze, but said nothing. Caine flicked his wrist, casually, and the girl went flying through the air, into the wall. She stood up, a cut above her eyebrow beginning to drip blood into her lashes. She blinked it away.

The attack had not been to hurt her, just to scare her. But it did not seem to have worked. She still met Caine's eyes, though her gaze was a little angrier than it had been.

"What is your power?" Caine snarled. She glowered at him.

"I don't need a power to know that telling you that is a bad idea" she spat.

"True" murmured Caine "But keeping quiet is a worse idea." He was trembling slightly with the effort of self control he was exercising. Baiting Caine was deadly.

The girl smiled – no, bared her teeth, at him. Bared her sharp, white, pointed teeth, and let loose a guttural snarl that sounded terribly wrong coming from a human mouth. An age old warning. Caine was worried, but he didn't show it. If this girl really was a four bar, and it came to a fight, it was possible that she could win. And Caine didn't like those odds.

"Do you work for Sam?" He asked. His voice had a little less bite to it now. The girl frowned in confusion.

"Sam?" she asked. Caine's temper flared again, and he struggled to keep it under control.

"Don't lie to me!" He hissed. "Sam Temple!" His eyes searched hers for some sign of recognition. They still looked confused, but after a second, something flickered in their mismatched depths.

"Sam Temple? He was the school bus kid, right? Drove the bus when the driver had a heart attack? Sure, I've heard of him. Why would I work for him?" She said. Caine decided to believe her, for now.

"Where have you been for the last few months?" He asked. She shrugged, and gestured to the shadows beyond the broken window.

"Forest, mostly. I went home, but everyone had disappeared, so I thought, hey, why not." She shrugged again.

"Where is home?"

"Perdido Beach. Outskirts. I went to the school there, but I was skiving that day when everyone vanished." Her voice was calm, but there was a note of something odd in it. Not quite fear, but closer to trepidation.

"Why did you decide to skive that day?" Caine's voice was clinical, tense.

"What's with all the questions?" The girl countered.

"Don't irritate me, or you will not live to regret it." His voice was a low monotone.

"And that, right there, is my limit. Bored now, so bye!" the girl called, as she leaped back out of the window. Caine growled, and rushed to the window to stop her with his power. But she was gone. Vanished. He roared and turned back to the room, furious. Diana had fled from him, doubtless until he had calmed down. Smart girl.

And out into the forest, a dark shadow, not at all girl-shaped, ran from Coates Academy.


	3. Introductions

The sun had risen over Perdido beach. She stared out from the edge of the forest that had come to be her home. She was closer to the town than she had been in months. It scared her, like it would scare any animal. She had been relying on her instincts for too long.

She mentally shook herself. She belonged here. This was her home. Or, it had been, once. She stood, and began to walk the path into town. She didn't even notice as she passed her old house. It was not the safe home she had once known anymore. To be honest, it hadn't been for a while before she had left it.

She listened to the conversations of those around her as she walked. Most were mundane, pointless attempts to pass the time. Some were discussions about the 'Human Crew', and the lengths to which they were going to drive out freaks. She heard Sam's name mentioned several times, and headed towards the town hall. Raised voices came from inside. Two people arguing, a boy and a girl, it sounded like.

"I don't really care what you think about it, Astrid!"

"Well you should do because it is not your decision to make!"

"At least I am making a decision!"

"This is a _democracy_ now Sam, not a dictatorship!"

"Better a dictator who gets things done than a council that does nothing!"

A girl strode out of the doors a second later, blonde hair rippling down her back, face set in angry lines. After a minute, a boy walked out too, though he made no move to follow the girl. His hands were balled into fists and he was breathing hard. The girl by the doors stared at him with her peculiar eyes. Was this Sam Temple, then? The boy turned, and met her eyes for the first time.

She took a step back, and shook her head quickly, trying to clear it. But when she looked back, the boy's eyes were the same. An identical replica of Caine's. They were also narrowed in suspicion.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Who are you?" she retorted. For some reason, he laughed.

"That makes a change" he muttered to himself. He extended a hand. "Sam Temple." He said. She shook hands.

"Kayla. Just Kayla" she smiled.

*Please review and comment and stuff! Chapter 4 is ready to go but I will not post unless I know people are reading it!*

*Also, sorry but I didn't realise I had blocked anonymous reviews. I have fixed it now, so even if you don't have an account you can still review*


	4. A new face

***OK, chapter 4 as promised. Enjoy!***

"So, I've not seen you around here before" Said Sam, gesturing to the town.

"No. I've not been here recently." Kayla told him. Sam frowned in confusion.

"So where have you been?" he asked. She saw his eyes flicker in the direction of Coates.

"Around" she said, evasively. His eyes narrowed further. "I went to school here" she said, in an obvious attempt to drive his thoughts away from the private school on the hill. That was somewhere that she didn't want to think of, either. She shuddered. Sam noticed.

"If you've been 'around' for so long, how did you survive? Where did you get food?" he asked, looking suspicious.

"I hunted" she said absentmindedly, then realised she had said too much. She froze, hoping he hadn't noticed. He had.

"You... hunted" he said sceptically, eyeing her slim build. "Hunted what?"

"Stuff..." said Kayla, but she could tell it would not be enough. She tried to distract him with a question. "What's a four bar?" she asked. Sam's head snapped up.

"What?" He said, voice expressionless. She could tell that this had been the wrong question to ask, and tried to gloss over it.

"Oh, I just heard it somewhere and wondered..." She trailed off as Sam's expression became stony.

"If you haven't been here since the FAYZ" he began "then where did you hear that?" His voice became as tense as his face. His eyes locked on hers, searching for something in them. Just like Caine's had, a few hours before.

"I – I just –" She stammered. She frowned, trying to think of a way to phrase her answer. The new cut on her forehead split open again with the action, and began to trickle blood down her cheek. She swept it away impatiently, dislodging her fringe as she did so, and exposing a portion of the ugly gash. Sam's eyes widened in concern.

"What happened?" he asked, less tension in his voice now.

"Hmm?"

"Your head" he said, gesturing to the wound. The girl's hands went to her forehead, and came away glistening with fresh blood.

"Oh, that. I got hit in the face with a wall." She said. "It happens. It looks worse than it is." She shrugged, and grinned at him. He did not smile back. She brushed her fringe back over the cut quickly.

"Caine." Said Sam quietly. She looked away.

"I should go-" she began, but Sam cut her off.

"What happened?" he asked, businesslike now. She glanced at the few kids milling around the streets. Sam noticed. "Come in" he offered, gesturing to the doors behind him. She followed him inside.


	5. Explanations

"So what happened?" Sam repeated once they were inside. Kayla sighed in resignation.

"I was just wandering around, like usual, when I found the building" she began. "Coates" she added, due to Sam's confused expression. His mouth set in a hard line as she continued. "So I had heard voices from inside for a while, and I wanted to investigate. I got as far as the window, but then I realised that people in there were still awake, even though it was like, three in the morning. So I listened in to what they were saying. I didn't understand much of it. Something about a council, and a 'Human Crew'. Anyway, the girl must have spotted me, 'cause she sent the first kid away, to get Caine, and the next thing I know, there's a gun pointed at me. She told me to get inside, and then she grabbed my arm. She seemed worried, and then this Caine walks in, and asks her if she 'read' me, whatever that means. She said about a four bar, and Caine asked me what my power was, and got really hacked off when I didn't answer, and threw me into a wall. I got pissed and jumped back out the window. End of."

"And Caine didn't try to come after you?"

"He did. He just isn't very observant." Said Kayla, grinning widely now.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Sam, frowning.

"Nothing" she said, quickly. Her odd eyes searched his face.

"What?" he asked, made uncomfortable by her scrutiny. She looked away.

"Sorry. It's just... your eyes. They're like..." She trailed off.

"Like Caine's?" asked Sam. She nodded. "He's my brother." Sam told her. Her own eyes widened.

"Oh. I'm sorry." She said. She couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Don't apologise. It isn't your fault." He sighed. "But sometimes... I wonder if..." he shook his head. "Never mind" he muttered. She raised her eyebrows. "Anyway" he said, regaining his thoughts. "You never told me what you hunted" he grinned. She smiled, recognising the obvious attempt to change the subject.

"Birds, mostly. Sometimes deer. And fish, if I ever came close to the ocean." She smirked at his bemused expression.

"How?" He asked. She just looked at him. After a few seconds, his eyes widened in understanding. "Your power" he said, answering his own question. Her eyes tightened in response. He took it as a confirmation. "What..." he began, before seeing the expression on her face. He grinned again. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." He challenged. She rolled her strange eyes at him, but her mouth twitched in a smile. Then she became serious.

"I don't want to choose sides" she told him. "If it comes down to it, I will, but for now..." She shrugged. Sam nodded thoughtfully.

"I can live with that." He said. Kayla's mismatched eyes flashed dangerously.

"I don't need you to _live with it_" she hissed. Sam held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. Not as placating a motion as it could be, given that his palms were crackling with energy, in anticipation of a fight. Her eyes widened in shock, and she growled, deep in her chest. She was shaking with animal ferocity, and had to work to keep herself from baring her teeth. He realised his mistake, and dropped his arms, balling his hands into fists at his sides. She squeezed her eyes shut, and concentrated on her breathing. A minute later, the shaking subsided. Her eyes opened, but fear shimmered within them. "I have to go" she whispered, and bolted for the door.

***More comments if you like this please! Let's say, three more comments and I will update. Thank you!***


	6. Instinct

Kayla sprinted as fast as she could through the streets of Perdido Beach. People stared as she flashed by, but no-one followed her. She reached the safety of the trees quickly, barely breathing hard from the mile-long run. It had taken her less than a minute. Over sixty miles per hour. Cheetah speed. She slowed to a walk for a while, weaving deeper into the green. She knew that she would not feel safe until she was in the heart of the forest.

Her shaking gradually slowed, as the adrenalin in her veins faded away. She was scared. Not of Sam, or of Caine. Of what she had almost done. _Again. _Her instincts were too strong. Fight or flight. She had managed to flee this time, but that didn't mean that she hadn't wanted to fight. To _win. _To... kill. She shook her head viciously.

"No!" she shouted, out loud. "No. Not again. Not again." She sank to the floor, knuckles pressed against her forehead, knees pulled up to her chest. "Please. Not again." She whispered to the trees.

Sam stared out of the door after the strange girl. He was unsure exactly what had happened. All he knew was, things had gotten dangerous, and fast. He didn't know how he knew it, but he appreciated that he had just come very close to death, or at least to a painful injury. Call it instinct, or intuition, but something told him that the girl was dangerous. So why did he want to go after her?

Astrid burst back in, then. She came up short, evidently not expecting him to still be here.

"I sent Taylor to find you" she told him stonily. Somehow, Sam knew what her next words would be before she said them. "I've called a meeting."

"Why?" he asked, keeping his voice deadpan, his face unreadable. He thought he knew her answer again, and was not disappointed.

"Some kids saw a strange girl running into the forest a while ago. Most think she's a mutant, because she ran faster than should be possible. Not Brianna fast, but still." Astrid said tonelessly. "She might be a threat."

"What makes you think that?"

"We haven't heard anything from Caine's lot since the power plant..." she trailed off for a second, before continuing. "Who's to say she doesn't work for him?" She asked, not expecting an answer. Sam didn't give her one. He didn't want the council knowing, just yet. There was no point, until... until he had more information. He had to find out more. Alone. But first, he had a meeting to attend.

*******Ok, I have decided to be strict. Sorry! I am going to say that I want 3 reveiws on a chapter before I upload the next one.  
So, please, PLEASE reveiw! Even if you don't have an account, I have enabled anonymous reveiws, so please tell me what you think.***


	7. Meeting

***Ok, I got my 3 reveiws, so, as promised, here is chapter 7! Reveiw if you lyk and want chapter 8!***

They were in the town hall, at a long wooden table. The Council of Perdido Beach. Sam, Astrid, Edilio, Dekka, Albert and Howard. John Terrafino was too busy with the children at the nursery to attend. Six out of seven council members.

"So, even if it is true, what are we supposed to do about it?" asked Dekka, voicing the question in everyone's heads. "Storm into Coates on a hunch?"

"No" Said Astrid with exaggerated patience. "But we need some kind of security-"

"Like what?" asked Edilio. "You want us to run patrols? There aren't enough of us."

"We should at least be careful what we say openly" said Astrid, a hint of desperation in her voice. Howard shook his head.

"I know that you guys want to pretend that we have some kind of master plan" he smirked, looking at everyone in turn. "But the truth is that we don't have anything to hide. We aren't exactly building nuclear weapons here. You want to pretend that we are? Give them a reason to attack?"

"How does it look if we are letting spies run around the town?" Astrid snapped. Howard looked directly at her.

"It looks like we aren't a threat to him." He stated calmly. "Better to let him underestimate us than to lay all our cards on the table." He looked around at them all again, daring them to argue.

"So we pretend we don't know?" asked Albert, addressing Howard more than anyone else.

"We pretend nothing. Just go along as usual, Bertie." Said Howard, his snide tone firmly back in place. "Carry on running the town, or whatever it is you do." Albert frowned, but nodded in assent.

Sam said nothing. He was determined to endure this meeting, then to go and find Kayla himself, no matter what the council said.

"All in favour of finding the girl?" asked Astrid, and for a startled moment, he thought he had spoken aloud. But then Astrid's hand rose into the air. Alone. She scowled as Howard spoke.

"All in favour of doing nothing until we need to?" he asked. His own hand rose. Along with Dekka's, Edilio's and Albert's. Sam lifted his, a beat late. Then he stood, and walked from the meeting room. No-one called him back.

***Please please please REVEIW IF YOU LIKE! Otherwise I think people hate my stories :'( Do you hate me? Do you? No? Then PLEASE REVEIW! Thankyou***


	8. Feral

***Can I just thank everyone, you have all been so nice! Thanks especially to Sum600 and Anya for sticking by and reveiwing my writing, and also Unlucky World Shaker for the lovely reveiw on chapter 7. Don't worry, the significance of the eyes comes in soon! At the end of this chapter, in fact ;-) Thankyou all again for reading, and I will try to post more as soon as possible. Enjoy!***

Kayla heard him coming. She imagined that the whole forest had. He was trying to be quiet, and failing miserably. Despite this, the realisation of what the sound meant did not hit her until the last minute, and by then it was too late to do anything about it. She scrambled up from where she had slumped on the forest floor, far more successful at keeping quiet than her pursuer. She tried to hide, blend in, but... too late. His footsteps had sped up, and he was almost at her clearing. He must have seen the light through the trees. Her body would not let her hide, relishing the possibility of a fight. The blood of the most ferocious creatures to walk the earth pulsed in her veins, roared in her ears, whispered to her. _Fight. Rip. Tear. KILL._

All of this in the space of a second, and no time to react to the searing fire in her veins, screaming at her to defend herself, her territory, from the unknown threat. Her head pounded with pure, feral wildness, longing for bloodshed. It was all she could do to stay still.

Sam pushed through the trees. He saw her, the girl, her back pressed against a tree, her strange eyes wild, fixed on him. Her fingers were bloody, latched onto the bark behind her, where they had carved deep gouges into the wood. Her teeth were bared, and a constant growl streamed from between them. He froze. He could not move, even if he had wanted to. He knew that if he ran now, she would give chase. And she would win.

After what seemed like an age, she moved. She dropped to the ground on all fours, and gave an odd shiver, which ran the length of her body. And suddenly, she was gone.

In her place was an enormous black cat. Its eyes were slits, though one of them was a deep green, and the other was violet.

Sam staggered back, unable to stop himself. The cat took a step towards him. He raised his hands, ready to fire. The panther stopped for a second, not out of fear. It seemed... surprised. It tilted its head slightly to one side, then let out a pleased purring sound. It stretched, and dropped to the ground, yawning as it did so. Then it began absentmindedly sheathing and unsheathing its claws, cutting into the ground. It turned its head slightly to look at Sam, and seemed vaguely surprised to see him still standing there, as if it had expected him to have run off by now. He wondered why he hadn't.

Unable to stop himself, he took a step forwards. The animal stiffened, but relaxed a second later. It watched him with interest as he took another step, very slowly, hands still raised. The cat blinked at him. He continued forwards, so slowly, until he was only a few yards from it, and dropped his hands. It stared at him for a moment, then seemed to realise that he wasn't coming any closer. It let out a huffing noise that sounded to Sam strangely like an exasperated sigh, and rose to its paws. It took a slow step in his direction, and his hands instantly flew up again, ready to defend himself. He could swear that the cat rolled its mismatched eyes. It took another step forwards, then another, closing the gap between them. When it stopped, its face was barely a foot from his own. Its eyes were on a level with his, it was so tall. It stared at him, waiting for him to react. His eyes were wide with fear and tension. He reached a shaking hand out towards it.

***Ok, so I have just finished chapter 9. I will post it up when I have written chapter 10, but PLEASE keep reveiwing! Thanks!***


	9. Shift

***Okay, hands up who saw that coming? Sorry I took so long to update, I have an entire week of mock exams next week and I have been doing nothing but revision. Anyway, sorry for keeping you waiting, I know it's annoying, and please, PLEASE reveiw. Even if you want to tell me that this chapter is rubbish, because to be honest I dislike it. But it was necessary, so...**

**Anyway, enjoy, and I will try to finish chapter 10 up within a week. If not, I will try to get it up within 10 days. Scouts honour. (I was never a scout, but hey!)***

The cat pressed its head into his palm, like an enormous black dog. He let out a breath that he didn't realise he'd been holding, and the panther sank to the ground, purring. There was a long silence, filled only by the rustling trees and the deep rumbling of the purr. Sam eventually broke it.

"So..." he started, before he realised that he had nothing to say. What words could possible describe this? Not even in the FAYZ. But then, was it such a huge leap? What with super speed, telekinesis and an alien entity that fed on radiation, he wondered why he even bothered feeling surprised any more. He cleared his throat. The cat looked up at him, waiting for him to talk. "So, you're like... a... a shapeshifter, right?" he asked it. It nodded, seemingly amused. He shook his head disbelievingly, and let out a shaky breath. "Well, that explains the hunting thing" he said. The cat let out a coughing laugh, and nodded again. "But I still don't understand." He said quietly. "This morning, and just now, too, you were..." he trailed off. The animal nodded thoughtfully. It stood up, and Sam tensed again. It padded away from him, to the edge of the clearing, and stopped. It turned back to him, a warning in its eyes that was easily recognisable. _Don't move. _He froze. The cat – it was hard to think of it as Kayla, sat back on its haunches and closed its eyes. It shuddered, and transformed once more.

Now that he was expecting it, Sam could see the change happen. A smoothing of the fur into skin, the bones shortening, the claws disappearing. It was over in less than a second, though it seemed to take an age. And then Kayla was back, leaning against a tree with her knees pulled up to her chest. She gritted her teeth, and her hands balled into fists, but she stayed otherwise still. Sam too, remained motionless.

Kayla took a deep breath, trying to keep a hold on her instincts. It was so much easier as a cat, but she needed to communicate. Something inside her made her want to explain everything. Not an instinct. A human feeling, something she had not felt in a long time. Courtesy, perhaps? Friendship? She didn't know. She looked up and met his eyes. Caine's eyes. That thought triggered the defence instincts again, and she struggled to rein in her feelings. _Just for a while. _She told herself. Then she could go back to being feral once more. A predator. She took a deep breath.

"It's hard to explain" She began. "I have... instincts... but some are strong, and some are... I don't know. The strong ones are usually the violent ones. But when I'm like this" she gestured to her human body "They are all shouting at once, and it's really hard to not-" she stopped, and regained her composure. "But as an animal, there is only one line of instincts. Easier to ignore." She gave a weak smile.

"When did it start?" Asked Sam. "Before the FAYZ?" He tried to keep his voice level, not wanting to do anything to provoke one of those instincts. Kayla shuddered at his words.

"Yes." She whispered. "Before. Not long before, though. A week, maybe? The instincts have gotten stronger every day since." She shivered again, not shifting, just unsettled by her memories. Sam looked troubled, and she tried to reassure him as best she could. "Don't worry about Perdido Beach" she said quickly "Most of the guys in here" she tapped her skull "are pretty territorial. It's a struggle for me to leave the forest. But you might want to make sure no-one else comes through here unprotected. I can't make any promises." Her voice was filled with pain as she spoke the last words. It was not a threat, or a warning. Merely a statement of fact.

"Do you think it will get easier?" asked Sam, seeming genuinely concerned. Kayla gave another weak grin.

"You're breathing, aren't you? I'm coping. It's getting harder, but I'm getting better at it." She smiled.

"How come you were ok in Perdido Beach? For a while, anyway." He asked curiously. She tilted her head again, thinking.

"I suppose it's the territory thing. The town isn't my territory, so I have to be... cautious." She said slowly. She looked up, grinning. "Shame there aren't any therapists left, eh?" She said. He smiled at her attempt at humour, but glanced back in the direction of town. She nodded. "Go on." She smiled. "I'm getting hungry anyway. I'll see if I can find a nice pigeon or something." She wrinkled her nose, and he grinned, turning back and leaving the clearing. He glanced over his shoulder in time to see a black tail whip out of sight between the trees.

***I'm in school at the moment, in my ICT lesson. I check back several times a day for reveiws, so please reveiw! Thank you. Also, my ICT class and teacher say hi, so that's nice***


	10. Truce

***Competition time! Ok, so do you have a favourite animal or bird? Please tell me in the reveiws, and I will choose my favourite and feature it in the next chapter! You know you want to!***

Kayla settled down to the ground. She had had a stroke of luck. Whilst out looking for pigeons, she had stumbled across a deer. She had taken it down quickly, and was now eating it. Raw. It tasted good, with panther senses anyway. She was pretty sure that her human self would be repulsed by the taste, without cooking it first.

She was soon full, but there was still half a deer left. It would be kind of tricky to preserve, out here. There were other predators in the forest that would find it if she hid it. It seemed a shame to waste it though, when there were so many hungry people around recently. But what would they do with a bloody and mangled deer? The people of Perdido Beach did not seem to be that desperate anymore. But there were people that desperate, not far from here... no. The Coates kids deserved what they had. Nothing. But did they deserve to die?

How odd it was, that she should find it so much easier to think like a human when she was not. Or to think like an animal when she was human. But she still felt some compassion. She was not, after all, a complete monster. She didn't want to watch people die. She stared down at the deer, not really seeing it. She couldn't take any more death.

It seemed an ironic thought to have, perhaps, after having just slaughtered an animal, but that was different. Survival. Nature was harsh, but fair. This deer had been the slowest in her herd. She wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway. That was how Kayla hunted. She had the ability to kill the whole herd, even the strongest and fastest of them. But she did not. Survival of the fittest, she thought wryly to herself. Kill or be killed. The circle of life. Just let nature take its course. But...

There were animal rules, she knew. Built into the instincts. Look out for number one. Always take the course of action that will save you. That was how they had survived for millennia. But humans didn't have the same instincts. Not the same rules. Because humans could not stand by and watch another hurting. Not if they could stop it. So the question was; was she still human?

Caine was in the dining hall again. He was furious. He was still angry for losing the girl, which he blamed entirely on himself, though no-one could tell. But this? This was terrible. He had chased her away, and straight into Perdido Beach. Bug had seen her talking to Sam, seen them walking into the town hall together. So now, he was fighting against two of the most powerful people in the FAYZ. He clenched his fists and let out a yell of anger. The chairs pushed against the walls of the hall began to rise from the floor, spinning around in a violent whirlwind. Lucky no one was there. He was completely alone in his aggression. Even Diana was staying away from him and his fury. Fury tempered, of course, by hunger.

He was not used to feeling helpless. But now... he didn't know what to do. He had people searching the forest, just in case, but there was nothing else he _could_ do. He was the leader, and he didn't make mistakes. He stared out of the window, a slight frown on his face. How could he persuade her to fight for him? Killing her would be a waste, he thought, but if she fought for him... he felt a smile spread across his face as he imagined it. The chairs toppled to the floor, a splintered heap. He would be unstoppable.

Movement caught his eye. The bushes ringing the car park were swaying in the wind. Except... this was the FAYZ. And there was no wind. He climbed out of the window, walking slowly towards the bushes. And there she was. As if his thoughts had pulled her here, the girl was standing right outside Coates! She was eyeing him, and seemed calm, but tense. She was standing tall, not at all scared of him. This irritated him somehow, and his eyes narrowed again. She broke the silence.

"So. You're the bad guy. I s'pose I guessed as much, but-"

"What are you doing here?" he cut her off. "Don't you work for Sam?" he sneered. To his surprise, she rolled her eyes.

"I don't work for anyone" she said through gritted teeth. Her hands clenched, but after a second she relaxed. She smiled to herself in satisfaction. She looked up and met his gaze, becoming serious as she added "Yet."

"Are you offering?" he drawled, unable to keep a hint of longing from his voice. All that _power_...

"No, I am not." She hissed. He looked her up and down.

"I could make you" he said thoughtfully. She laughed coldly.

"I would like to see you try."

"That sounds like a challenge."

"Maybe it is" She murmured, looking straight into his eyes. He blinked, and looked away, feeling uncomfortable. _Uncomfortable? _Caine Soren felt uncomfortable looking into a girl's eyes? That wasn't right. Something was wrong here. Perhaps her power? Yes, that had to be it, she had the power to influence people. But then, that would not be a four bar power...

"Is that why you came here then?" he asked, distracting himself from his thoughts.

"No" she murmured. She reached down, and lifted up an enormous chunk of meat. Meat! His mouth watered just looking at it. "I figured you people were hungry, and I had leftovers, so..." she trailed off as she saw how Caine's eyes were fixed on the deer, unblinking. "So..." she continued. "Truce? I don't bother you, you don't bother me, right?" Caine nodded eagerly, and the meat started to rise out of her hands as he lifted it with his mind. "You should probably cook it first" she said, breaking into his reverie. He looked up.

"Why would you do this?" he asked. She grinned at him.

"Because I decided that I'm human" she said, and turned away, back into the forest.

And hidden in the trees, Taylor smirked.

"Gotcha" she whispered, and bounced back to report to Astrid.

***You want to reveiw, don't you? Well look, you see that blue button, just there, see it?**** Just click on it, and type the name of your fave animal/bird in the box! It's easy! Thankyou***


	11. Picking Sides

***Oh my gosh. I am a terrible person. I completely forgot about this fic and when I finally remembered it again I saw the last time I updated it was LAST YEAR! Feel free to hunt me down and shoot me. (If I actually have any readers left now, that is) I deserve it, I really do. But wait until I've finished first! ;-) As pennance, I will post the next _two _chapters up immediately. It gets interesting from here on out, folks.**

**To my reviewers: YOU ARE AMAZING! I LOVE YOU ALL! But not _that_ way. **

**Just quickly - 'dreamer123' - Thanks! I am glad you like it! Thank you for reviewing!**

**'TheBlondeWeasley' - Thankyou! I'm so happy people like my stories! It makes me happy :-D**

**'Anya' - Thanks for reviewing, and I'm sorry about the cliffie, especially as I left you all hanging so long! Bad, bad TrueKelpa...**

**'ilovepenguins.a' - Thank you, that means a lot! I am planning to put some more Caine in later, hope you'll like it!**

**'Ociana' - Yay! Thank you! I am really glad you are enjoying!**

**'Just being me': Thank you for the lovely review. I really appreciate the feedback, and thankyou for being honest ;-) Glad you are enjoying it! Also... I think you may be psychic. You read my mind! O.O (You'll see what I mean in chapter 13)**

**'1stp Klosr' - Hmm, I've been thinking about that. It is good to know that someone else thinks it will work too.** **Thanks for the review!**

**'Mia' - As requested ;-) Hope you like!**

**(I have only replied to the people who reviewed chapter 10. If I answered all my wonderful reviewers, there would not be room for the story! I still love you all!)**

**And finally, the winner(s) of my little competition... (Drumroll)... TheBlondeWeasely AND 1stp Klosr! Yay! But don't worry, I plan to be using some of the others in later chapters! **

**So, after the looooong wait, it is finally here! Chapter 11! Enjoy!***

"What?" mouthed Sam. Speechless.

"Taylor saw her with Caine, outside Coates." Said Astrid again, smugly.

They were in her house. Or rather, the place she was staying. Drake had burned her real house to the ground, trying to kill her and Little Pete. Petey was, currently, sitting on the sofa playing his game, unaware of the tension in the room.

"What was Taylor doing outside Coates?" Sam asked, dangerously. Astrid's eyes narrowed for a moment.

"The more important question is, what was the girl doing there-" she began, but he cut her off.

"No, I think that mine was the most important question. After all, the council took a vote to stay away from the girl" he snarled "And if Taylor was just hanging around Coates for fun..." he trailed off meaningfully. Astrid blushed angrily.

"Well it proves I was right-" she started to say.

"Life isn't about being right, Astrid. It's about sticking by your decisions, especially as _you_ were giving _me_ grief about ignoring the Council's orders, not two days ago!" he yelled. He felt a twinge of guilt about that. Wasn't that exactly what he had done, when he had gone to find Kayla himself? He shook the feeling off.

"This was different! The Council voted to leave her alone, and Taylor did, she just..." she trailed off at the expression on Sam's face. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, and her voice was calm when she said "I just... wanted to make sure... we were safe." She looked up at him. He glared back at her. She sighed and turned away. She didn't hear him leave, but when she turned around again, he was gone. She sank onto the sofa next to her brother, and put her head in her hands, not trying to stop the tears spilling down her face.

Sam was angry. Angry at himself. For yelling at Astrid. For trusting Kayla. For making all the wrong decisions. He didn't notice where his feet were taking him until he looked up, and saw the wall of leaves and bark that marked the edge of the forest. He sighed in resignation. He would have to face this sooner or later. He headed towards the trees.

He was greeted by a huge chestnut wolf. It was the same height as him, and was keeping a fair distance away. Its mismatched eyes told him he had found the shapeshifter, and more quickly than he had expected. Those eyes held no trace of guilt, or remorse. They stared at him intently, trying to work out his thoughts. He scowled at it, letting it know he was angry. The animal seemed confused, tilting its russet head to the side, in a silent question. _What did I do_? He glowered, and walked deeper into the forest, not wanting to be overheard.

He came to a halt when he was sure he was so deep in the trees that Taylor would not find him, should Astrid send her to spy on him too. Thoughts of Astrid only made him more furious, and when he turned back to the wolf, he had to clench his fists over the crackling energy in his palms. The animal stared him down, waiting for him to make his move.

"Caine." He hissed through gritted teeth. "You went to _Caine!_"

The wolf straightened. Realising the meaning in his statement, she began growling at him. It was clear she did not appreciate having been followed.

"What happened to not picking sides?" he snarled back.

She blurred back into human form instantly, but the growl did not cease.

"Since when was dumping my leftovers considered 'picking sides'?" She hissed. "They are dying!"

"They deserve it!"

"What gives you the right to decide that?"

"They are killers!"

"Well I'm not!" She yelled, then froze, staring at him. "I'm not." She said again, quieter now. She seemed to be trying to convince herself.

She was still staring straight at him, so he saw it when the instincts took over.

Her face darkened and she lunged towards him, snarling. He jumped to the side, dodging her, holding out his glowing hands as a warning. She focussed on them intently, slowing to circle him gradually. He turned as she did, always facing her.

"I'm not" she repeated in a growl, before screaming it at him. "I'm _not!_"

She sunk to the floor, the human emotion overpowering her instincts as she began to sob uncontrollably. Sam looked down at her, crying on the forest floor, and it hit him all over again how _young_ they all were. Too young to be doing this. All of it. Fights to the death, they were for the grown-ups. Not for them.

He sank down cautiously beside her. She did not flinch away, or attempt to kill him, so he took it as a good sign. He just sat beside her as she cried, murmuring incoherent words through the tears. And suddenly, without warning, she raised her head and looked straight into his eyes.

"I am." She whispered. "Oh God forgive me, I am."


	12. Suicide

"You are what?" Murmured Sam, though he knew the answer. She looked away.

"Killer." She said dazedly. "Murderer. Bitch. _Freak._" She spat the last word out with venom. He watched helplessly as she clawed at the hard ground with her bleeding fingers. "All the time. I see them. Their faces. I didn't even-" She spun to face him again, eyes full of horror and self-loathing. "My God, I didn't even know them!"

"You killed people?" He whispered. He was not surprised, not really. Something had to have happened to make her hate her power so much, and her refusal to accept it could not help her control issues.

"Give a hell-bitch claws and she's gonna scratch" she murmured. "Give her teeth and she'll rip your throat out."

"I'm still alive" he pointed out. She dropped her gaze to his still-glowing palms.

"Lose the light show and see how long you last" she hissed.

He sighed and stood up. Her head whipped around to follow the movement, but he didn't notice. He began to pace the clearing, lost in thought. She was sorry for what she had done, that much was obvious. But that didn't mean she wouldn't do it again. She was dangerous.

_No. _She was watching him pace, up and down. It was hypnotising to the beasts under her skin. Taunting. The thrill of a chase. She could see what was going to happen next. She couldn't stop it. She growled at him, a warning, but he was too deep in thought to realise the danger he was in. Up and down.

She shifted without meaning to. Suddenly, she had claws, and fangs, and her head was full of bloodlust. Her ears twitched as she gauged his exact location with all of her senses. The vibrations in the ground, his scent in the air, the whispering of his feet on the leaves as he paced. He was trespassing on her home. He was a danger to her, spying on her. He was _prey_.

In the wild, she would have a pack. The other wolves would stop her doing anything too dangerous. That was the way it worked. But she was alone now. And the wolf could not see how crazy, how _suicidal _it would be to attack this boy. After all, he was only a human. And so the wolf lunged.

And yelped in pain, falling to the ground in a heap of singed fur.

He had reacted without thought. As soon as he had turned to see the animal hurtling towards him, his arms had shot up and thrown a stream of greenish light at it. He hadn't meant to...

As he watched, she shifted back to human form, still crumpled on the ground. Blood was seeping through the side of her top. Her eyes were glazed in pain, teeth gritted. Even now, her instincts told her not to make a sound, not to show vulnerability or weakness.

He began to back away, staring at her. He had to get help, but who could... there was only one possible course of action. _Lana._

He turned and fled the forest, heading towards the huge hotel on the cliff that had become the Healer's home. He only prayed he was fast enough.

She watched him go, from her vantage point curled on the floor. She wished he had ended it. Leaving her here was so much worse, somehow. Letting her fall victim to the animals that should be her prey. Ironic, really. And yet also poetic, in a sick kind of way. Hadn't she very recently thought about it? She tried to remember her exact thoughts.

_Survival of the fittest, she thought wryly to herself. Kill or be killed. The circle of life. Just let nature take its course._

That was it. So should she live by the animal rules, to let nature do her worst, test her worth? Or by her human impulses, to constantly fight to survive? She had told Caine that she had decided to be human, but she didn't feel very human, lying in the dirt, covered in her own blood. This pain wasn't human, it went beyond that. It was primal, her body's way of telling her that something was wrong, and she needed to fix it before it killed her. But how was she supposed to do that?

She supposed that this was her punishment. She was paying for what she had done, paying in blood. After all, her victims had bled too.

There was a rustle in the trees behind her. She knew that this was an animal of some kind. She hadn't heard it coming. She didn't have the energy to roll over and face it, so she just lay there, praying that it would kill her quickly. She stared ahead at the trees, dappled in sunlight. It was pretty. Not a bad last view.

The animal behind her shifted on its... paws? Hooves? She really didn't care. She felt the animal move closer, but something moved farther away, too. Two of them? This wouldn't be pretty. If they were hungry, they might rip her apart without bothering to kill her first.

And then she heard something. It came from the animals behind her, but it shouldn't have.

It was a voice.

***Dun dun duuun! Please excuse me if my characterisation is a bit off, I haven't managed to get my hands on Plague yet, and I haven't re-read any of the others for a while. If you think I need to, please tell me, and I will. Love ya!***


	13. Voices

***Still felt guilty about abandoning you all! So, even though chapter 14 isn't finished yet, here is chapter 13, early. It is painstakingly short, I know, but there really wasn't a better place to end it! It's going to get quite interesting soon, so bear with me while I attempt to write chapter 14. It won't exactly be action-packed, but it is neccesary. And, for all you Caine fans, in chapter 15 I'm going back to Coates. See! I do plan on actually finishing this fic... I swear! ;-) Enjoy***

"Up. Get up."

What the hell? These were not humans, she instinctively knew, but... what, then?

"Not dead." Said the voice. "Get up. Follow."

With a huge effort, she rolled over to look at the speaker. It was skinny, with brown fur. It looked like a coyote, but it was the size of a wolf. Oh, yeah, plus the talking thing.

"Now!" said the creature, irritated.

"What?" was all she could think to say. She wasn't exactly eloquent at the best of times, but lying bleeding on a forest floor, having a conversation with a giant coyote, was not going to help in the slightest.

"Shape-changer hurt" the animal explained. "Pack come. Pack help. Pack hunt." This last was followed by a canine interpretation of a smirk. It was damned terrifying.

"Ok..." she muttered. "Well, thanks, but I'm-" she suddenly hissed as the other coyote nudged her wounded side with its nose.

"Pack leader says follow" said the second animal. "Change. Come."

Change? Did he want her to change into one of them? Well, she reasoned, what did she have to lose?

She stared at the coyote, fixing its image in her mind, trying to find it inside her own head. She thought she might have noticed if a giant talking coyote had slipped into her head, but, it seemed, it was there. She grasped it with her mind, pulling it to the front of her consciousness. It was a little harder than usual, as this animal was unfamiliar. She could change into one of her favourites in a heartbeat, she was so used to them. But the less-used ones were more of a challenge. Eventually, however, she did it.

She ran her tongue over her teeth, testing their sharpness. Not bad. She noticed that the pain had subsided somewhat. She supposed that coyotes had fewer nerve endings, or weaker chemical signals, or...

She thought back to her biology lessons, so long ago. The more complex species could feel pain, unlike the more simple organisms, which were little more than chains of amino acids and enzymes. It stood to reason that less complex creatures would feel less pain, then. She smiled to herself. She had been good at science, ahead of her classmates by a year. Well, she had been, before...

She shook that thought off, getting gingerly to her feet. Or, more accurately, paws. She winced slightly. Yes, the pain was less, but it was still there. In force.

"So what do you want from me?" she asked the largest coyote. It felt incredibly strange to be able to _talk_ like this. On four paws. Plus fur.

"Hunt" he said. "Pack hungry. Pack hunt"

"But why do you need me?"

"Prey fast. Pack slow. Pack too hungry."

"You want me to hunt for you?"

"Pack help Changer. Changer hunt."

"Do I have to speak in the third person all the time?" She asked. The coyote looked confused. "Never mind" she muttered, and she followed them painfully out of the clearing.


	14. Lana

***Yay! I still have some readers! This simultaniously shocks and pleases me. Ok, not much action in this chapter. It was originally going to focus on Sam and Lana, but it ended up showing more of how Kayla is faring with her furry freinds. But hey, that's ok, right? Possibly one of the longest chapters so far (Which isn't saying much, as my chapters are never really _long_...) So, yeah. This was a hard one to write, actually. But hey, I've had some time on my hands... I've been ill :-( Bad for me, good for you, as it means that Chapter 15 will be typed and posted sooner than anticipated! Yay for pathogens! :-S So... enjoy, I guess.***

He reached Clifftop sooner than he had expected to. He dashed inside, speeding through the corridors, trying to find her room. What was the number? Had she moved rooms since he had last visited?

He nearly tripped over the large Labrador snoozing in the middle of the corridor. It jumped up, looking at him in irritation.

"Sorry Patrick" he told it. "Where's Lana, boy?"

The animal just looked at him blankly. _I have been spending way too much time talking to animals that understand me. _He thought to himself. It didn't matter though, because he heard a small noise from one of the nearby rooms; a metallic click.

He rushed towards the sound, knocking frantically on the door. It swung open to reveal a large rifle pointed squarely at his chest.

"Lana" He said quietly. She stared at him for a moment, before recognition flashed in her unusually blank eyes.

"Sam." She nodded. "What do you want?"

She wasn't trying to be rude, it just seemed like she didn't have the energy to feign politeness.

"I need your help" he spoke faster as he turned his mind back to the bleeding girl in the forest. "I think I hurt someone"

Her eyes flickered to his palms, then back to his face.

"Then they deserved it." Her voice was monotone.

"No" he said, privately surprised at her coldness. "It was an accident."

She nodded.

"How bad is it?"

"She's still conscious, I think."

"Ok." She nodded, motioning for him to lead the way. He led her out of the hotel, walking quickly. It was an awkward trek through the forest. They were both silent, and the Healer had her gun slung over her shoulder. Her grip on it tightened at every unexpected noise, and she whipped it around once or twice, pointing it into bushes or trees, ready to fire. The strangest part was, most of these times, Sam heard nothing. It was as if Lana was hearing things inside her own head.

_Stranger things have happened..._ He thought wryly to himself. _Like, I dunno, shapeshifting?_

And with that, his thoughts flew back to Kayla, and he picked up the pace.

"Yeah, great idea Kayla" the shapeshifter muttered to herself. "Get yourself captured by giant mutated dogs. Well done."

The sarcasm was hard to miss. Unless you were a coyote.

They were in some kind of abandoned mining village. Log cabins everywhere, though most of them had either rotted away or burned down. There were a few still standing, though, and she was currently splayed on the cold floor of one of the more intact ones. Pack Leader had the bed. _Spoiled little lap-dog. _She thought to herself.

They hadn't yet done anything to help her heal, short of getting her a slightly warmer place to sleep than the forest floor. She felt like crap. There was no other way to put it. Her side was screaming in pain, exposed to the open air. Her joints ached, because of the combination of blood loss and resultant weakness. She was-

"Changer hunt now." Called Pack Leader, interrupting her thoughts.

She took a moment to take that in. Then...

"What?"

"Pack hungry. Changer go hunt."

"_Changer_ really can't be bothered to hunt until she is actually healed!" She growled. Then she realised she had slipped into third person already. A side effect of hanging out with overgrown scavengers. "I thought you were going to help me?"

"Changer hunt" he said again. "Now."

She gritted her teeth.

"I have a better idea" she said with false cheeriness. "How about Changer changes into something big and breaks you all?"

"Changer help pack-"

"See, that's the tricky thing about a bargain. You actually have to hold up your side." She hissed. "Now, if you're gonna help, help. If not, get out of my way."

She got shakily to her feet, heading to the door. Pack Leader leapt off of the bed and intercepted her, snarling.

"Changer help pack" he said menacingly. "Changer hunt for pack."

"I'm not your damned room service!" she growled back.

Pack Leader let out a noise, somewhere between a yip and a howl. And she looked around to find herself surrounded by angry coyotes, standing between her and the door. She mentally calculated, but... there was no way she could take on that many. If she was at full strength, it wouldn't be a problem, but weak and wounded...

She growled and lay back down on the floor.

***What meanie coyotes! Anyway, thought I would use this bit to answer some of the wonderful reveiws I've been getting!**

**'HungryInTheDarkForNachosLOL' - Yay! Glad you enjoyed! Sorry again for the disappearance... *Hangs head in shame* But I'm back now, and I won't stop until this fic is finished! Sorry about the cliffie, but I'm just evil like that *Shifty eyes* ****And good guesswork, by the way ;-) And I will find Plague as soon as possible! And as soon as I have money... I _so_ need a job...**

**'Annonymous' - Nice one! Really glad you are enjoying it, and I shall second that support for third person! Yay! XD**

**'ecjarecke11' - Thank you for reveiwing, really pleased you like it! As for Drake, despite his awesomeness, I am afraid he will not appear in this fic. It's set between Hunger and Lies, when he was still... ya know... in a hole in the ground... so unfortunately not. :'-( Sorry!**

**'Kelly' - More as requested ;-) I liked that line too! Glad you like it!**

**'Ociana' - Hmmn, I haven't heard of that, I will be sure to check it out. Thanks for reveiwing!**

**'Anonymous' - Wow, now that's dedication! Thankyou! I shall endeavour to type as fast as possible ;-)**

**Thanks everyone for your support! Yay! Cookies for you all! Those double chocolate ones, that they cook so the chocolate chips are all melty and the dough in the middle is not quite done and... be right back. *Leaves room***

***Returns with cookie***

**Anyway... R&R!***


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